fish monster [ryan]

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

A fish monster. It had been completely random, but a dream in the middle of the night had brought the idea to Joey's subconscious, and must have been so awesome that it shook her awake and ended up in her conscious mind as well. A fish monster... how cool is that? A fish monster in space?

[/color] Her thoughts were still racing as she had made her way to the aquarium and paid the exorbitant fee to get into the gate. Even with her student ID card, it had cost her $24.99 to get in for the entire day, and that didn't even include snacks or anything else she'd need while she was in there. Taksil Aquarium was one of the nicer ones she'd been to, and seemed much cleaner than some of the ones in Boston that she'd taken her younger siblings to as an afternoon field trip. There was always so much to be done that she and Eliza couldn't take them as many places as they would have liked, and there was no vehicle they owned that would fit them all, so they had to limit their outings to safe places in Boston that were within walking distance of where they lived. An aquarium had been about a mile and a half down the road, but they always made sure to get ice cream afterward to keep the youngest ones from complaining too much. Joey always thought the aquarium was educational, anyway, and she wanted her siblings to embrace their intelligence, since they all showed signs of being above average in that regard.

Today, she hadn't gone to the aquarium for nostalgia's sake or out of a random interest to look at colorful, swimming things all day. There had been a moment where she'd discussed swimming creatures – sharks, to be exact, with Jamie. Jamie was a girl that she was kind of dating, but their first date had been interesting enough to be memorable, and Joey had been thinking about lots more than sharks since that fateful day. Maybe it had even been enough to get her thinking and dreaming about fish monsters. So, she'd gone to the aquarium and paid the door fee for inspiration. Google images had been her first attempt, but the pictures and eventually Youtube videos just didn't give her the picture that she needed to really grasp how swimming things worked: their construction, mechanics, and the like. Joey really took her art seriously, and if she was going to incorporate a fish monster as Bravo 18's newest nemesis, it was going to be the most badass fish monster ever.

Joey was seated on a bench, sketch book on her lap, and found herself looking at some manatees for a second and sketching fins and other aquatic shapes before moving on to the manta rays and sting rays because if that thing was bad ass enough to kill Steve Irwin, then it needed to be part of her fish monster. Maybe I can make its weapon be like a scorpion stinger and a sting ray stinger.[/color] Joey had a happy grin on her face and started humming while she drew, looking up at the cool blue water through the thick glass every few minutes to catch a different part of movement that the creatures made. Really, they were beautiful with how effortless their movements were, and she envied their grace and functionality. She was quite the awkward little thing, but there were times when she was nothing short of brilliant, and that was why her graphic novel was actually doing pretty well among the youngsters of Manuka. She'd made more money with the last two issues than she ever had, and was hoping to take the advice of this girl she'd met and try to get into a smaller Comic-Con style panel, just to get her name out there to some smaller fan bases.

When she looked up from her sketchbook again, she saw a lanky, slightly ginger-haired young man standing kind of close to the glass and very much in her way. It reminded her of how she always had to police her siblings when they'd gone to the aquarium before and without realizing it, words slipped from her mouth. ”Don't tap on the glass, you'll scare them,” Joey said, then about fell off the bench when the young man turned around and met her, their eyes locking immediately.

”Ryan??” Joey asked, completely shocked to see her little brother there. She completely abandoned her sketchbook and nearly dove toward him, wrapping her arms around him and jumping up and down, so unable to contain her excitement. ”Holy coincidental run-ins, Batman! What in the world are you doing here? And not just aquarium here, but Manuka here! Why aren't you in Boston? Where's Liza?” Joey's questions were a mile a minute, and she couldn't wait to hear the answers that he'd give. He certainly had a lot of 'splaining to do, that was for sure.[/blockquote][/justify]

OUTFIT: Here!
WORDS: 829
NOTES: SO EXCITED!! CAMPBELL SIBLINGS UNITE!

[hound3]

600-ish words*click for outfit*made a dig at Massholes because I am one, if you can find it<3

It had been made clear to Ryan that he needed to get out more. He’d been in the apartment and to the grocery store, but really nowhere else. He’d started putting up advertisements in town and on Craig’s List for a roommate, but everything seemed to move so slowly. It drove him a little crazy sometimes. Yes, the young man was used to life. He was used to something moving and going on, and everything here has been quiet. Ryan just needed to take off. He needed something to go, something to do, something to… something. That’s it, Ryan needs something to something. That was specific.

Ryan is admittedly homesick. He wants to go back to what he knows, running back through the streets of Boston and Cambridge and home. He aches softly, and he can’t help how he feels. Family means the world to him, and he’s come out to chase that… but still. Ryan is out of his comfort zone. Comfort zone is where he belongs, and it’s hard to get out of that funk. Still, there had to be something that he could do. He doesn’t know. Ryan rarely knows, and maybe that’s what his problem was.

Aquarium was a good option. He needed something that could bring him to life… why not start with fish? He moved across the ground with a certain grace, something that he doesn’t really recognize was his own. Spring could be so cold here, so close to the sea. There was a breeze that blew in, even when they were too far from the coast to taste the salt on the air. Everything was a sort of brisk chilly, and it brought him all the quicker. Dully he wonders if it would have been worth it to drive, but he’s nearly there now. Instead, Ryan pulls his hat down over his ears a little more.

The air inside the place was comfortable, and it fit Ryan in rather well. He pushed his sleeves up to his elbows, paying the fare to come in and play with the fishies. Through the long corridors he made his way, overwhelmed by the sight of it all. There was something to leave the man in sensory overload. It was all so bright, so bold, so beautiful. Ryan was drawn in by the sight of it all, entirely lit up by it. Who knew fish were so cool.

He gets closer to things without realizing it. There’s a voice from not far off that’s chastising, and he recognizes it immediately. Without thinking, Ryan pulls a slight whine into his tone and his shoulders slump slightly. “Aw, but Jo—“ What?! “Joey!” And all at the same time, there’s a shriek in Ryan’s voice. His entire face lights up, body nearly humming with excitement. What had startled him moments ago brings a bright light into his shining green eyes. His arms wrap around his sister’s torso, hopping up and down in perfect and not so perfect time. Welcome to sibling life.

There’s a bright laugh in his chest, and he’s grinning ear to ear. “It’s so good to see you, I’ve missed you, so much!” Ryan’s words come as quickly as Joey’s, a family trait. They were from Massachusetts, everyone was supposed to talk fast. “I came to see you, and to see the school. Liza is watching the kids back at home, she’s doing really well. Everyone is doing really, well, actually. How’s school? How’s… everything? Tell me everything!” Ryan speaks quickly, demanding information on the spot and laughing softly. He still hasn’t released his death grip on his sister, either.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

Joey giggled when the young man she had addressed randomly responded, and felt her heart catch in her throat when she realized that it was actually her brother, Ryan. She hadn't seen him in so long... had he gotten taller? Her siblings were fairly predictable, and there was comfort in that for her because she knew them all so well and with exception of the little ones, figured that in the time she was gone, there wouldn't be many changes. She'd miss puberty and growth spurts from her youngest two brothers, but she'd already dealt with that during Ryan and Larissa's 'growing up' years, so she was good to go. Although she was close to all of her siblings, Ryan was one that she felt that she understood on a different level. For starters, they were both gay, and while Ryan wasn't as 'out' as she was, he was certainly open enough about his sexuality. However, as the Campbell curse might have it, both of them tended to stay painfully single and forever alone, despite their awkward charms. Unless he'd gotten a boyfriend. Joey made a mental note to ask him about absolutely everything, but needed to hug him first.

The redhead ran toward her brother and they both started jumping up and down in the embrace, right in the middle of the aquarium, completely uncaring of anyone who might walk by and think they were a couple of oddballs. They were, and they didn't need jumping up and down sibling embraces to give people that impression. Her younger brother's smile was infectious, and she grinned from ear to ear as well, and they both started talking rapid-fire at one another, in a way that people from the East Coast tended to do. It wasn't just a Boston thing, as far as she knew, but found that people tended to talk more quickly in cities, and they had grown up in Boston. ”I just can't believe you're here! It's been waaaaaay too long, little brother,” Joey said, putting an incredible emphasis on the length of time passed. Truthfully, it had only been about seven months, but it had been the longest she'd been away from any of her siblings since they were born. There had been summer camps for a week, maybe two, when they could afford it as kids, but that didn't happen until later when Joey and Larissa had jobs and could pay for their siblings to go fun places.

Relaxing in her brother's arms, Joey breathed him in, happy with his little surprise that wasn't really a surprise since this was a completely chance encounter. ”I missed you, too, Ryansaurus.” It was a childhood nickname, but it spoke volumes and Joey fluffed his hair when they let go of one another. ”You're gonna go to U of M, too? Or just spying?” Joey asked, relieved when he said that Eliza was watching the others, but curious about why he'd come see the school now. Maybe because she was settled in? Joey furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side, analyzing her brother closely. He was a terrible liar, not that he'd lie to her in the first place.

”Everything's... kinda uneventful, actually,” Joey said, coming to terms mentally with the simplicity of her day-to-day life. She had class, homework, Bravo 18, and that was all to be expected. ”Started fixing people's computers for extra money. The graphic novel is actually getting kind of popular. My classes suck this term,” Joey added thoughtfully. That's not what Ryan wanted to hear, though. He was a romantic, and was probably hoping that she had a love life to speak of. Besides her unrequited crush on Bridget that was bordering on more and a random date with Jamie, she had nothing. ”I've got a couple friends, nothing crazy. I'm a recluse.” That was true enough. ”How about you tell me everything, and I'll hope your life is finally more interesting than mine.” Joey said, ushering her brother over to where she had been sitting and sketching her fish monster.

[/justify]

[hound3]

Seven months was too long when you were so attached to your family. Ryan was, in some ways, probably too attached. He loved his family because… well, they were all he had. He didn’t do so well with the whole interpersonal relationships thing, and that was something he couldn’t really hold onto so well. What he had to hold onto was flesh and blood, and that felt good enough. It felt great, really. To be surrounded by those that shared your DNA immediately meant that they’d have to put up with your quirks. It meant that they’d have to let you be weird.

It’s what he took comfort in. Ryan clung to his sister for a few moments longer before pulling away in the slightly damp heat of the building. Excitement brought a grin to his face and a childlike glimmer to his eyes. Sometimes, the young man shines. Only sometimes. Only when he gets really excited like he does right now, nearly overflowing with it all. “You could always come home and visit too, I hope you know that! Everyone has missed you, man. Everyone is growing and being crazy and sometimes it’s hard to trust the little ones with all three of us around…” He takes a breath. In. Out.

“Spying… scoping things out. Really either applies. I don’t know who’s giving me money for school yet, but there was word that UMASS Amherst was going to try to take me up… don’t think I want to go to The Zoo, though.” The young man rakes a hand through his hair. He’s a good student, decent at his maths and his English. Still, he doesn’t want to wind up at the biggest partying school in the state. It didn’t seem like it would be a good fit for reclusive, family oriented Ryan. “So I suppose the long and short of it is, yes. I’m spying.” At least he’s charming when he wants to be.

“Money is good, yeah!” It’s brightly that Ryan speaks, mussing his sister’s hair. It’s playful, and the man is allowed to be a bouncing ball of energy and fluff for the day. He can’t help but embrace the fact that his siblings were a full house, the kind that were alike and just… perfect. They were all perfect to him. “You know that darn novel is brilliant, of course it’s taking off!” The young man is just short of shrieking with excitement. Sometimes he gets loud without realizing it.

He rakes another hand through his hair, just short of bouncing up and down on the balls of his feel. There’s a light to Ryan’s eyes, something… something that’s nearly sizzling. He shines. “You should… not be a hermit!” It takes him a moment to come up with the second part of the phrase, kidding all along… except not, too. He’d rather his sister get out and have friends so he could live vicariously through her. She was the dreamer, and it was more than lovely to sorta watch her as she went.

Ryan follows close at his sister’s heels, flopping down but careful not to sit on anything essential. Or colorful. He really didn’t want smudges on his pants, thanks very much. “Nothing really going on… I graduated early because all my ducks are in a row, and now I’m just wandering. I don’t have any friends here yet, I was actually sort of out to see if any would show up and volunteer.” Ryan shrugs, far more interested in the fish monster that was springing to life from Joey’s page. It was something that had always drawn him in, the artwork. Sometimes he could wish that he’s the artist, but he knows she’s got him beat.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

Of course Ryan would lead with the guilt trip. Granted, her innocent younger brother wouldn't know that he was doing it, because anything with ill-intent that came out of his mouth was usually just random and something that he didn't exactly think about before speaking. All the Campbell siblings had some variety of foot in mouth syndrome, so she didn't really get offended. Truthfully, Joey missed her home and Boston every single day, and still felt sort of guilty about leaving, even if it was for college and the chance to make money, accomplish her dreams, and give her siblings a much better life than they'd had growing up. She and her elder siblings had done the best they could, of course, but most of the weight had fallen on her shoulders, and having deadbeat parents really didn't help matters.

”Aww, Ry. You know I'd love to visit, but school is running me ragged. That's what you all get for makin' me leave in the first place,” Joey teased with her brother knowing that they all knew what was best, and when all was said and done, this had been the right decision for everyone involved. Eliza needed more responsibilities, Ryan and Larissa needed to know that they wouldn't be trapped in the house forever, and the little ones needed siblings that loved and cared for them just as much as Joey had when it was her job to be both parents for an entire litter.

For a moment, she forgot just how fast people could talk in her hometown, but quickly fell back into the pattern of her brother's rapid speech. She'd tried really hard to slow down to talk to other people at the college, and the few people she did know, because at first, most of them had commented on the way she spoke. Her accent wasn't as heavy as some people, but her vowels were typical of a Boston native, and sometimes she had a tendency to shorten words, just because she could. ”I'm so proud of you, smarty pants!” For a moment, she definitely had that 'proud parent' feeling and rush, and couldn't help but hug her brother, who really had gotten taller, one more time. ”You know wherever you choose to go will be better than lazing around at home. Speaking of lazy, is Eliza thinking about colleges at all?” Eliza wasn't lazy, they just all teased her for having less loudly spoken desires than the rest of them. Even though she was still a tight-knit part of the entire group, she was certainly quieter and more secretive than the rest of them, and didn't really like to talk about her own business. Most of the time, she just changed the subject and let them get into their own tangents, as they all had a tendency to do.

”It's some of my best work, I think. I'm really hoping it catches on. I've got some ideas, and a girl I met actually helped with some of 'em. She says maybe I should try to get on a local graphic novelists panel – sorta like small scale Comic-Con, and get some people to dress up like my characters,” Joey said, excited to see what her brother would think of the new ideas. ”Oh! And Bravo 18 has a ton of Facebook friends. That little robot is getting quite the following, I gotta say.” She was proud of the work she'd done, truly, and looked forward to taking her brother back to her dorm and giving him copies of some of the newer issues that he hadn't read and she hadn't gotten a chance to mail to him yet. Of course she always sent a free copy to the house so her siblings could read them, just because she wanted to, and she enjoyed their feedback.

Ryan suggested that she stopped being a hermit, and she wished that she could just tell him about Bridget and how she was really trying not to become one, and wanted so much more lately, but knew that if she started talking about the violet-eyed blonde, she'd probably combust into a fit of crush-laden foolishness.

”At least you've got your shit together,” Joey said honestly. Although she did wish that her brother had more friends. Hell, she wished that she had more friends, but for them, it was kind of wishful thinking. People didn't always want to be friends with the most awkward person in the room, and more often than not, that person was one of the Campbell kids. ”If you want... I could, well, maybe text one of my friends? We could all hang out or something sometime, when you're more settled...” Bridget and Joey had gotten to be closer friends, one might even say 'best friends,' but it still wasn't the kind of friendship that Joey wanted. She didn't really want friendship with the blonde at all. She wanted the blonde for herself. As her girlfriend. But that was really wishful thinking. Maybe if Ryan met her, he'd be able to see something she couldn't.

[/justify]

[hound3]

It was sort of their prerogative to shove their feet in their mouth. It was one of the easiest ways to realize that they were all related. They all spoke too loudly, were a bit too bouncy, had an awkward streak a mile wide, and happened to be gingers… it was the way things went, and none of them really thought of anything other than embracing it. They could get out there and make do with their odd little quirks… that was the other thing that they were good at. They would improvise where they needed to and make all the sacrifices they needed… right.

He rakes a hand through his hair, grinning right back at Joey. “Gotta make my baby bird leave the nest sometime.” They’re siblings for god’s sake—they’re going to tease, they’re going to laugh. He likes to laugh, and that’s something that he embraces wholeheartedly. Sometimes it’s easy to throw yourself into something heart and soul. That was family. To him, everything could be worth heart and soul if you really looked close enough. It’s easy to work around, that way. He can make whatever he wants out of the things he’s got, the easiest trap to fall into of all.

Ryan can feel the proud parent moment radiating from his sister, and it makes him laugh into the hug. His arms wrap around his sister once more… he will never deny he likes hugs. Hugs are good. “You in no way want to make my life easier, do you?” The young man chuckles gently, taking a step back to watch his sister with a gentle grin. At the mention of Eliza, he can’t help but laugh again. Maybe laughter is good too, and he can appreciate that. He’s got a lot of appreciation for… everything, right now. Such is his life.

“For now she seems fairly content doing what she does… what that is, mostly I couldn’t tell you, but at least she’s got the kids under her thumb fairly well. Left me time to come up here, y’know?” He sighs, unable to really think of what Eliza… did do. It was her business, and he’d leave her to it as much as he could. Ryan can only think of what he doesn’t want her digging in to… what he doesn’t want any of them digging into. All he wants is to make sure they don’t get hurt, and that may be what destroys him in the end.

But enough on the fatal flaw thing. He’s wrapped up in Joey’s excitement over her graphic novel, and it draws him in more and more. “Yeah, man, do it!” He tries not to cut her off, but his excitement is palpable. It’s when she’s finally done speaking, his eyes glimmering as she is, that he manages to squeak out more words. “If it’s not totally lame for your brother to be doing it, I’d go and dress up and stuff. It could be cool, yeah?” And it would put him out where he could meet people. “Also, I mean, who wouldn’t want to be his friend? He’s flippin’ adorable.”

“If only, m’dear.” And really, he does wish that he had his shit together. It would make life easier if he only knew what was going on in the world around him, in the life that was simply spinning around his head. Sometimes it would just… hopefully it would hit him. Joey mentions friends though, and the brother that had been making a grab for the fish monster she was drawing to take a quicker look perks up. “I think that would quite possibly be awesome.” Quite possibly as in, well, it would be awesome. Friends were good.

[JOSEPHINE OLIVIA CAMPBELL]

Joey giggled when her baby brother called her a baby bird. Well, she had a lot of 'baby brothers' and other younger siblings, but she and Ryan had always connected on this strange level that none of the others could really understand. Ryan even had a twin, Larissa, and when the three of them got together, you'd probably think they were triplets. The entire Campbell clan were close, and as much as Joey missed her siblings in Boston, she knew Ryan was right. She had to get out of the nest sometime. ”I appreciate you lot working so hard to get me out, even if I miss my pesky critters.” It was a joke, of course, that they were 'pesky.' She loved her siblings more than anything, and each one of them knew it. Just another part of being so tight-knit, she supposed.

The redheaded human realized that it was probably awkward for her fully grown brother to be receiving all kinds of hugs and affection from his dorky sister in a public place, and she chuckled softly, then fluffed Ryan's hair, just like she'd done when they were both much younger. ”Accept my abuse, sibling.” Her voice was challenging, but still playful, and she raised an eyebrow. Man, did she love her brother. She'd missed them more than she knew, which was why she kept asking all the questions about home. Really, it was just a part of her nature to keep tabs on things, keep everything running smoothly, make sure everything was cared for – that kind of thing. Of course, she didn't doubt Ryan, Larissa, and Eliza's capabilities to manage in her absence, even if her sister Eliza could be kind of... off sometimes. Off in her own world, sort of. Sometimes, it almost seemed like the hand they'd been dealt was some sort of major burden on her, and that was the main factor in Joey's hesitation to leave in the first place.

”Well, you know Liza. Takes charge only when she needs to and then disappears,” Joey said, knowing that her sister liked to keep everything running mostly so she could actually leave and have a life of her own. Ryan said it perfectly: none of them really knew what their sister was up to or what she did in her spare time, just that she was gone a lot. ”Are they driving her nuts yet?” Eliza did have a short fuse, and she figured that it would be easily balanced with Ryan and Larissa's cooler, kinder temperaments. The twins would be more than willing to give her a break when she was ready to tear her hair out. None of the Campbell siblings were calm, or quiet really, or easy to take care of in their younger years. Joey knew – she raised them all. After they'd talked about the home situation, Joey was taken aback by her brother's enthusiasm for 'Bravo 18.' ”Actually, that's not lame at all. I met this girl the other day, super nice kinda cute girl, and she totally brought up that I should have people dress like the characters and do some sort of panel at a mini comic thing. Or a comic book store – publicity, that sorta shindig. You'd make a pretty great Bravo.” At Ryan's opinion of her character, Joey grinned. ”You know I kinda based him on you, right? My adorable awkward robot.” She was honestly surprised that Ryan didn't have more friends with how wonderful he was, but such was the curse of the awkward, socially inept type. They both suffered from it.

Which was why she got the idea to introduce him to Bridget. She'd probably intimidate him at first, like she'd done with Joey because she totally looked like a cheerleader, but on the inside, she was one-hundred percent super nerd. ”You'll love Bri. I'll text her, we'll get food or something sometime. It'll be great.” At least, she hoped he loved Bri because she kinda loved... well... that was never going to happen, but Joey couldn't stop her feelings. ”So what were your plans for today? Because now you're gonna have to clear your schedule and spend it with me.”

[/justify]